According to Poynter's website, Pohlman started teaching at the institute in 1979, joining fulltime 10 years later as head of what was then called the Management Center. Since then, he led leadership programs and coordinated international training. Pohlman was part of the team that helped establish the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Before going to work for Poynter, Pohlman was director of management development programs and newspaper management education at the University of Chicago, where he also earned a master's degree in history. His earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell College in Iowa.